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Got a DVD! From "DFMRF, LLC", with an addy in Thousand Oaks, CA. A 95 minute "political documentary everyone is talking about", which purports to tell the story of a theory that Obama's real dad was Frank Marshall Davis, "a Communist Party USA propagandist, who likely shaped Obama's world view during his formative years."

The one you get in the mail isn't in a regular DVD box, though, it's in a full-color gatefold DVD mailer. How do you like the red-colored "Real", with the hammer and sickle placed like an asterisk? Classy, 'eh?

Has anyone else gotten this? Anything even close to this? Or is this the worst, filthiest thing you've seen in a political campaign since those Bush-supporting robo calls during the 2000 primaries talking about McCain's "illegitimate black baby"?

Is there a liberal equivalent? Has anyone out there gotten a 95 minute feature length film in which a voice actor playing Mitt Romney talks about how he's a secret son of Warren Jeffs, and his plan is to make plural marriage the law of the land once he gets into office?

Calvin: I'm thinking of starting my own talk radio show. I'll spout simplistic opinions for hours on end, ridicule anyone who disagrees with me, and generally foster divisiveness, cynicism, and a lower level of public dialog!

Mannahnin wrote:Whembly evidently needs to get caught up to the times. The crap he links to is only about half as offensive as this.

Now, now...don't taunt me...

I've been good... even posted a non-political topic

6000
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!

4000
"Pain has a face; allow me to show it to you... I. Am. PAIN!"

Pinhead (The original Archon):
"Human dreams...such fertile ground for the seeds of torment. Your're so ripe, Joey. And it's harvest time. Save your tears. We'll reap your soul slowly. We have centuries to discover the things that make you whimper. You think your nighttime world is closed to me? Your mind is so naked. A book that yearns to be read. A door that begs to be opened."

Mannahnin wrote:Whembly evidently needs to get caught up to the times. The crap he links to is only about half as offensive as this.

Was it really necessary to make a backhanded slight at someone who hasn't even commented ITT?

Considering some of the junk he's relayed on here without giving it any critical review? Yeah, kind of. He's also (to his credit) taken my fairly harsh criticism of this bad habit with some good humor.

I do think it's worth folks looking at some of the crap coming out of the anti-Obama movement, and thinking critically about the kind of propaganda they're getting in their email inboxes and real mail boxes, and how big a percentage of it is not far from this. And maybe whether that's the side they want to stand with.

Have you watched it to see if it claims the other dude is his biological or ideological father?

It very clearly does both, though it kind of weasel-words the biological father claim with questioning phrases like "The True Origins of Obama's Life and Politics?" "Was the goat herding Kenyan father only a fairy tale to obscure a Marxist agenda, irreconcilable with American values?" And "Director Joel Gilbert concludes, 'To understand Obama's plans for America, the question is 'Who is the real father?'

I can't imagine a large number of voters got this.

It's clearly a national mailing campaign. Kanluwen is not in the same state as me. DVDs are relatively inexpensive, but this mailer is high-quality, glossy, and full color. This was not cheap in any event. If I was making something like this, mass scale would make the most sense to get the best return on the substantial initial costs.

I don't need to see this (and no I haven't seen anything like this in Missouri).

I could post info on "2016: Obama's America" documentary (which I believe it's #2 in all-time documentary).... but, I'm not... [have no desire to see it as I already know what it says]

And besides... me and Manny can have a civil debate/argument... I'm still buying him a beer if I ever see him. (and really... that's open to any Dakkaites)

6000
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!

4000
"Pain has a face; allow me to show it to you... I. Am. PAIN!"

Pinhead (The original Archon):
"Human dreams...such fertile ground for the seeds of torment. Your're so ripe, Joey. And it's harvest time. Save your tears. We'll reap your soul slowly. We have centuries to discover the things that make you whimper. You think your nighttime world is closed to me? Your mind is so naked. A book that yearns to be read. A door that begs to be opened."

Part of my point is that quite a bit of the criticism of "his ideology" I see (including articles you've linked to) is based on stuff no more substantial than this. Like the "apology tour" meme, and the claims about Obama apologizing for freedom of speech, or sympathizing with violent terrorists. It's manufactured bs and distortions of reality, made to fit a false narrative that Obama is something worthy of hate.

whembly wrote:I could post info on "2016: Obama's America" documentary (which I believe it's #2 in all-time documentary).... but, I'm not... [have no desire to see it as I already know what it says]

Good example!

whembly wrote:And besides... me and Manny can have a civil debate/argument... I'm still buying him a beer if I ever see him. (and really... that's open to any Dakkaites)

Thanks, man. You too. Thought I might fight you over the relative merit of the terms "Dakkaite" vs the clearly superior "Dakkanaut".

1)Obama terrorizes innocent Pakistanis on an almost daily basis. The drone war he is waging in North Waziristan isn't "precise" or "surgical" as he would have Americans believe. It kills hundreds of innocents, including children. And for thousands of more innocents who live in the targeted communities, the drone war makes their lives into a nightmare worthy of dystopian novels. People are always afraid. Women cower in their homes. Children are kept out of school. The stress they endure gives them psychiatric disorders. Men are driven crazy by an inability to sleep as drones buzz overhead 24 hours a day, a deadly strike possible at any moment. At worst, this policy creates more terrorists than it kills; at best, America is ruining the lives of thousands of innocent people and killing hundreds of innocents for a small increase in safety from terrorists. It is a cowardly, immoral, and illegal policy, deliberately cloaked in opportunistic secrecy. And Democrats who believe that it is the most moral of all responsible policy alternatives are as misinformed and blinded by partisanship as any conservative ideologue.

2)Obama established one of the most reckless precedents imaginable: that any president can secretly order and oversee the extrajudicial killing of American citizens. Obama's kill list transgresses against the Constitution as egregiously as anything George W. Bush ever did. It is as radical an invocation of executive power as anything Dick Cheney championed. The fact that the Democrats rebelled against those men before enthusiastically supporting Obama is hackery every bit as blatant and shameful as anything any talk radio host has done.

3)Contrary to his own previously stated understandingof what the Constitution and the War Powers Resolution demand, President Obama committed U.S. forces to war in Libya without Congressional approval, despite the lack of anything like an imminent threat to national security.

To hell with them both! (note, the writer is voting for Gary Johnson)

Have you any deal-breakers?

6000
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!

4000
"Pain has a face; allow me to show it to you... I. Am. PAIN!"

Pinhead (The original Archon):
"Human dreams...such fertile ground for the seeds of torment. Your're so ripe, Joey. And it's harvest time. Save your tears. We'll reap your soul slowly. We have centuries to discover the things that make you whimper. You think your nighttime world is closed to me? Your mind is so naked. A book that yearns to be read. A door that begs to be opened."

whembly wrote:To hell with them both! (note, the writer is voting for Gary Johnson)

And see, that's the problem. Romney would be just as bad, if not worse, on those things, so it doesn't really help make the decision. Throwing away your vote on a protest vote for a third-party candidate is effectively still picking one of the two real candidates, so the question is which one of them do you hate most? And the answer is pretty simple: if you're a rich or deluded into thinking you can be a rich , you want to vote anyone-but-Obama. Otherwise you want to vote anyone-but-Romney.

Everything GW publishes for standard 40k, including codices, supplements, Forge World, and White Dwarf, is part of the game. You can choose not to play with or against any of them, but don't pretend that your choice is anything but a house rule.

There's a lot of legitimate criticism there, Weebly. Obama has continued and even expanded some terrible and unconstitutional policies. The reason I'll still vote for him is pragmatism, recognizing that there are no really good and pure candidates who will do better. Gary Johnson will not get elected, and even if he could, I think his economic policies would do a lot of harm to the country.

IMO the Dems and the Republicans are much more similar than they are different, but thinking they're functionally the same is a big part of what got us Bush Jr. in office. And I genuinely don't think we'd have gone into Iraq if Gore was in office, and that's at least one less massive pile of dead people we'd have had.

(PS: You can just use my name if Mannahnin is too long; Ragnar's only one more letter than Manny).

whembly wrote:To hell with them both! (note, the writer is voting for Gary Johnson)

And see, that's the problem. Romney would be just as bad, if not worse, on those things, so it doesn't really help make the decision. Throwing away your vote on a protest vote for a third-party candidate is effectively still picking one of the two real candidates, so the question is which one of them do you hate most? And the answer is pretty simple: if you're a rich or deluded into thinking you can be a rich , you want to vote anyone-but-Obama. Otherwise you want to vote anyone-but-Romney.

HEY! Lemme have my delusions ! ( deluded into thinking you can be a rich )

Just messing with ya!

Yeah, I'd agree with what you said.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Mannahnin wrote:There's a lot of legitimate criticism there, Weebly. Obama has continued and even expanded some terrible and unconstitutional policies. The reason I'll still vote for him is pragmatism, recognizing that there are no really good and pure candidates who will do better. Gary Johnson will not get elected, and even if he could, I think his economic policies would do a lot of harm to the country.

IMO the Dems and the Republicans are much more similar than they are different, but thinking they're functionally the same is a big part of what got us Bush Jr. in office. And I genuinely don't think we'd have gone into Iraq if Gore was in office, and that's at least one less massive pile of dead people we'd have had.

(PS: You can just use my name if Mannahnin is too long; Ragnar's only one more letter than Manny).

Weebly! <I'm so stealing that>

I definately agree with your sentiment that the "Dems and the Republicans are much more similar than they are different". Which is a shame that they can't work together to get done.

Ragnar it is sir! :salutes:

Oh... I'll concede on the relative merit of the terms "Dakkaite" vs the clearly superior "Dakkanaut".

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2012/09/27 04:57:11

6000
Live Ork, Be Ork. or D'Ork!

4000
"Pain has a face; allow me to show it to you... I. Am. PAIN!"

Pinhead (The original Archon):
"Human dreams...such fertile ground for the seeds of torment. Your're so ripe, Joey. And it's harvest time. Save your tears. We'll reap your soul slowly. We have centuries to discover the things that make you whimper. You think your nighttime world is closed to me? Your mind is so naked. A book that yearns to be read. A door that begs to be opened."

Mannahnin wrote:Considering some of the junk he's relayed on here without giving it any critical review? Yeah, kind of.

I disagree. I think you're focusing on the person and not the behavior, which is fine when the person injects himself into the thread but problematic otherwise. To be fair, you've come down on me for the same, we all do it.

Life does not cease to be funny when people die any more than it ceases to be serious when people laugh.

Mannahnin wrote:The 9/11 truther ridicufest is a good one, Seaward. Were those nutjobs backing a candidate, though, or were they mostly condemning Republicans and Democrats as part of the same evil machine?

I think it's a remarkable stretch to pretend that the truther movement came from anywhere but the extreme left.

dogma: I perceive some of the stuff he's linked as very much akin to this. Maybe a couple of notches down the continuum of "dispicable lies sold to overly credulous people too willing to accept spurious slanders", but related. Maybe I made it too personal. Maybe that's a product of optimistically feeling like just about anyone who posts here should be able to see through that crap. I think Whembly, and Auston, and Jihadin, and Frazzled are all genuinely good people and some of the stuff they seem to accept honestly bothers me, and clashes with that belief.

Mannahnin wrote:The 9/11 truther ridicufest is a good one, Seaward. Were those nutjobs backing a candidate, though, or were they mostly condemning Republicans and Democrats as part of the same evil machine?

I think it's a remarkable stretch to pretend that the truther movement came from anywhere but the extreme left.

I'm not, in any way. The extreme left tends to see the Dems as more or less interchangeable with the Republicans. The scumbags or nutjobs behind the Obama's Real Father thing are clearly from the extreme Right, but they're not condemning the government in general or accusing it of a horrible conspiracy. They're aiming specifically at Obama. Whereas the 9/11 truthers' insanity blames the whole government, not just Bush.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2012/09/27 05:17:42

Mannahnin wrote:The 9/11 truther ridicufest is a good one, Seaward. Were those nutjobs backing a candidate, though, or were they mostly condemning Republicans and Democrats as part of the same evil machine?

I think it's a remarkable stretch to pretend that the truther movement came from anywhere but the extreme left.

Not really, a large part of the truther "movement" seems to be the right-wing tinfoil hat crowd that loves to rant about the evil UN and the end of true american freedom while sitting in a bunker with their massive gun collection. Sure, there were gullible idiots on the left who embraced it just because it was a reason to hate Bush, but that just proves that stupidity is not limited by party lines.

Everything GW publishes for standard 40k, including codices, supplements, Forge World, and White Dwarf, is part of the game. You can choose not to play with or against any of them, but don't pretend that your choice is anything but a house rule.

I mean, there's political bs everywhere, but the US is the only place I've seen where the you get so many political claims that aren't just not true, but are utterly ridiculous.

We get all kinds of attacks on politicians here, but you'd never see anyone claim that someone was secretly the son of a communist. Is that kind of crazy just an American thing?

And does anyone actually, honestly believe it, or is it just a useful marker for what amounts to tribal allegiance?

Mannahnin wrote:I'm not, in any way. The extreme left tends to see the Dems as more or less interchangeable with the Republicans. The scumbags or nutjobs behind the Obama's Real Father thing are clearly from the extreme Right, but they're not condemning the government in general or accusing it of a horrible conspiracy. They're aiming specifically at Obama. Whereas the 9/11 truthers' insanity blames the whole government, not just Bush.

There was a definite anti-Bush element to the truther movement. It wasn't the whole of the movement, though, unlike, say the birthers, but it was a definitely a strong part, and much stronger than the anti-UN/gun control element.

Political scientist James Q. Wilson points out that "You need only do three things to avoid poverty in this country: finish high school, marry before having a child, and produce the child after the age of 20. Only 8 percent of families who do this are poor; 79 percent of the those who fail to do this are poor."

Some of the truther movement was aimed at Bush, and I certainly saw a few liberals who should have known better express interest in it for that reason. I am inclined to think that most of it was coming out of extreme-left nutjobs.

And does anyone actually, honestly believe it, or is it just a useful marker for what amounts to tribal allegiance?

Well, I suspect part of the thought is that they can sell the "real" father angle to the nuttiest, and the "spiritual father/secret communist" angle to a larger number, and the "if they found this much 'evidence' of this, he's got to be AT LEAST a Socialist, right?" implication to even more. Yes, I suspect it's meant to appeal to the base already, and maybe motivate some more of the nutjobs who aren't excited by Romney.

From Jerome Corsi at WND:
One million copies of the documentary film that presents evidence Barack Obama’s real father was Communist Party activist Frank Marshall Davis have been mailed to households in the crucial presidential-election swing state Ohio.
Filmmaker Joel Gilbert told WND his mass distribution of his documentary “Dreams from My Real Father” is an attempt to bypass an establishment media blackout.
…Gilbert also has sent another 100,000 copies to New Hampshire, and he has plans to send 1 million to six more swing states.
His effort through his company, Highway 61 Entertainment, is governed by the 2010 Citizens United Supreme Court decision, which barred government from restricting independent political expenditures by corporations and unions.
The film was recently endorsed by Alabama state GOP chairman Bill Armistead (he reportedly calls it “factual” and “absolutely frightening”), and it has received a certain amount of attention due to an advert placed in the New York Post. A central plank of Gilbert’s argument is that Marshall Davis supposedly took intimate photos of Stanley Ann Dunham that were published in pornographic magazines; this claim was widely discussed back in 2008. The film itself came out several months ago.
Gilbert has also made two films on middle eastern affairs. These are Atomic Jihad: Ahmadinejad’s Coming War for Islamic Revival and Obama’s Politics of Defeat (“Hudson Institute Film Festival Winner”) and Farewell Israel: Bush, Iran and The Revolt of Islam. According to his blurb on the sites for these films:
Joel Gilbert is a graduate of the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies and London School of Economics and Political Science. He was a Middle Eastern studies scholar under world renowned Islamic history experts Professors Eli Keddouri [sic - more usually spelt "Elie Kedourie" - RB], P.J. Vatikiotis, Michael Cooke [sic - should be "Michael Cook"], and Abbas Kelidar. Gilbert is one of the few Western scholars of historic Islamic-Jewish relations. Gilbert has lived, studied, and traveled in the Middle East, including Egypt, Israel, Morocco, and Pakistan. He speaks Arabic and Hebrew, and lectures on the Middle East.
The blurb for Dreams states that Gilbert received his BA from London University (of which SOAS and the LSE are both colleges) in 1986, followed by an MBA from George Washington University in 1991. By calling himself a “Middle Eastern studies scholar under world renowned Islamic history experts”, he appears to mean that he took their courses or attended their lectures as an undergraduate. That, of course, no more demonstrates expertise than having read their books or articles. Gilbert has also written for Family Security Matters, where he is described as “an Islamic history scholar”.
The website Think Israel has re-posted a couple of reviews of Farewell Israel. One, derived from Americans for a Safe Israel, commends the film, while another, by the late Ron Maiberg and originally published in Ma’ariv, was sceptical:
It is easy to see how this movie can become a hit with the Israel supporting Christian right. Gilbert claims he produced this movie by himself. However, this is quite an expensive production, with respectable quality, animation, and archival material which in itself costs (in general) thousands of dollars per minute of broad time. For those of us born into this bubbling “publishing world” stew, Gilbert is one more violin out of tune in the philharmonic. The problem is that Gilbert’s professional credentials are quite meager for carrying such a heavy intellectual load. He helped research a book on Jabotinsky for Shmuel Katz; he learned about Islam from Eli Keddouri; he wrote a book that is a basis for a movie; and he is a friend of Tsakhi Ha’Negbi. Not exactly Dan Meridor, lacking self restraint. Katz and Ge’ulah Cohen are mentioned in the movie without relation to the context.
In the wake of the Frank Marshall Davis film, Gilbert has been interviewed by Alex Jones and Michael Savage – he told Jones that “you can’t put anything past them” when discussing whether the Obama administration had orchestrated the mass shooting at Aurora, while Savage was warned that Obama intends to end capitalism and that “the middle class’ health care is going to be given away to poor and illegals”.
Alongside these political activities, Gilbert also runs a Bob Dylan tribute band, and Highway 61 Entertainment has made several documentaries about the singer. Josh Marshall writes at TPM:
I’m something of a Dylan fanatic myself. And I’ve actually bought a few of Gilbert’s docs on iTunes. The production qualities aren’t the highest. They’re a little hokey in places. And he doesn’t manage to land the interviews with the really critical people in Dylan’s life. But he gets people that if you’re really into Dylan are kind of interesting to hear from.
It is perhaps relevant to note that Gilbert has also made two films described as “mockumentaries”: these are Elvis Found Alive and Paul McCartney Really is Dead.

The link above has all the links, some of the odd things the lunatic element of the fundamentalist right gets up to is almost jaw dropping.

The poor man really has a stake in the country. The rich man hasn't; he can go away to New Guinea in a yacht. The poor have sometimes objected to being governed badly; the rich have always objected to being governed at all

We love our superheroes because they refuse to give up on us. We can analyze them out of existence, kill them, ban them, mock them, and still they return, patiently reminding us of who we are and what we wish we could be.

Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge